DMC: Devil May Cry Review

DMC: Devil May Cry Review (XBOX 360)

By: Damon Cooper

It’s been a long time since players were thrust into the demonic world of Dante and the hordes he hacks and slashes his way through. But the silver haired demon slayer is not the same face we remember. Taken up by a new studio, with Capcom’s blessing, Ninja Theory has made sure Dante’s look is the biggest source of controversy in this reboot of the DMC franchise. Does it still hold the challenge and flair the franchise is known for? Yes and no. But DMC does deliver on a fantastic ride through limbo that’s well worth giving it a chance.

A New DMC, A New Story

DMC: Devil May Cry is about Dante realizing his potential and bringing down the Demon King, Mundus, the demon responsible for killing his Angel mother, Eva, and imprisoning his Demon father, Sparda, for all eternity. After a much more revealing and mature opening sequence, we find ourselves looking at a bare bodied Dante as he is woken up by Kat, a newcomer to the franchise and member of The Order. Dante has been living his life destroying demons that get in his way and leaving a path of death and destruction behind him. Kat is there to warn Dante of the demon hunting him and after an awesome fight through an amusement park he is acquainted with The Order and its leader, Virgil. Virgil reveals the Order has been combating the influence of the Demon King, Mundus, who has the world controlled through media and debt. He also tells Dante that is a Nephilim, the offspring of an angel and demon. Those who know the franchise have a solid idea of what’s coming but for those who don’t, I won’t spoil anything further except that there is so much commentary on the world we live in that players won’t help but chuckle at some of the correlations between our media and the game’s.

Players will spend the majority of the game in Limbo, a twisted view of the world occupied by the demons that run rampant. In Limbo corridors extend, walls twist and subliminal messages are revealed on billboards and signs. It’s here that the game really shines with some of the most fun levels I’ve ever played in a DMC title. Corrupted city streets, an insane trek through a soda factory, an electro pop nightclub gone haywire and probably the biggest slap in the face to the Fox News network ever. DMC delivers on great arenas that are a lot of fun to traverse.

Ninja Theory put a lot of time and effort into making sure this was a more story driven experience than in past DMC’s. Their experience in motion capture and storytelling is a testament to their skill as developers and this is a much more intimate look at Dante. I found the new Dante to be just as funny as ever but not quite the stylish cocky one we remember. His punkish flair is the driving force behind his brash behavior and nonchalant attitude after the world is revealed to be in control by Mundus. With a soundtrack deserving of a DMC title and great voice acting combined with awesome motion capture and storytelling, this is shaping up to be a great reboot of the franchise.

Destroy All Demons

We all know the reason for picking up DMC is for the combat. While most can bitch and moan about the aesthetic differences between the new Dante and what they remember, those who are smart enough to appreciate a good game will look past that and remember it’s all about the gameplay! And I’m very pleased to tell you that DMC delivers in a big way.

Given the Rebellion by his father, Sparda, Dante dispenses pain in great style and this will be the weapon of choice when dealing with most of the demon hordes. With a total of five melee weapons and three firearms to acquire throughout the game, players have a huge arsenal at their disposal to dispose of the demons that flood their path. Combos are easy to rack up and switching between weapons is as simple as hitting the d-pad. New to the series are the angelic and demonic weapons that Dante is imbued with. Holding down the right trigger will turn the beloved Rebellion into the Arbiter, a demonic axe with great power but slow swings. Holding down the left trigger will turn Rebellion into the Osiris, an angelic scythe that is weak but fast and great for dealing with groups of demons. In later levels and difficulties players will have to use the demonic weapons and angelic weapons to destroy certain enemy types that are only hurt with a specific type of weapon. This can become a burden and disrupt to overall flow of combat from being a breeze of destruction, to a stop and hit strategic takedown.

Those familiar with the series know that along with decimating demons with flair is the precursor to growing the style meter. The coveted SSS ranking is still the draw to the combat but is much easier to pull off. Where a player had to constantly keep up with a dropping style counter by switching up the weapons and combos, this meter will not drop a rank unless hit with some type of damage, thus making the all important SSS much easier to get this time around. It should be stated that simply button mashing will not raise the style counter nearly as fast as utilizing the entire arsenal at Dante’s disposal. Also aiding in combat is a style points name and point total for the different moves the player pulls off. I found the firearms to be all but useless in this outing except for juggling and the occasional break of an enemy’s defense.

I don’t consider this a letdown, but the boss fights were the obvious wait and counter affair. Though, they were extremely fun fights and awesome to look at. A fight with a demonic news anchor that’s a cross between Lawnmower Man and the Matrix will be the highlight to most. Overall the combat in this new DMC is extremely fun and easy to pull off, delivering a very frenetic brawler.

Those looking for a challenge should start the game on its hardest available difficulty right out of the gate. Although this was a fantastic experience, its difficulty was not something I found to be over the top. I completed the normal, Demon Hunter, difficulty in about seven hours with no deaths and I’m an experienced DMC player.

A Game Worth Playing

DMC: Devil May Cry may not be the best in the series but it definitely ranks up there with the best action games on the market. This is a game deserving of a buy and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of combo driven brawlers. With great replay value with seven, yes seven, different difficulties and collectables to find, there is no reason not to play through the game at least three times. I give DMC: Devil May Cry a 9/10.

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